When I make a call with my cell phone, or it rings, it sends out powerful blasts of weapons-grade radiation that cause my cable modem to go all screwy. The lights on it blink rapidly for a bit, and then it resets itself. But it doesn’t really reset itself, I have to remove the power cable and put it back in to reconnect. This is most annoying. I’ve found that using the cellphone at a greater distance from the cable modem alleviates the effect, but this is not always achievable because I often must talk while at the computer. It’s especially obnoxious if it happens when I’m on the phone and need to look something up on the Internet from which I have been involuntarily disconnected! :mad:
Anyway, what should I do? I have a strong compulsion to encase the thing in concrete or lead or something, but I’m not very good with construction equipment.
That would require dealing with the cable company, which, despite common belief to the contrary, is the actual subject of Dante’s Divine Comedy.
The modem itself isn’t really broken; it works fine except in one circumstance. I think the problem might be solved by improvising some sort of additional RF shielding around it, but I don’t really know how to do that.
Well, the first thing I’d do is make sure all the connectors on the cable modem are tight and that the coax is in good condition. It’s barely possible that it could be acting as an antenna.
If the cable looks good, you can encase the modem in a Faraday cage. Basically a box covered with a smooth conductor, like a mylar space blanket. Failing that, window screen might work adequately for cell phone frequencies.
Any cable modem that can be fuxored by the low radiation levels of a cell phone is seriously broken.
Perhaps Virgil can help you in dealing with the cable company? In my area, you could just take the box to the cableco itself and they’d do a swap on the spot.
agreed. any cable modem-or any other electronic equipment-that can be routinely disrupted by the power levels of a cell phone has serious problems. It is likely broken, but it could also be seriously poorly designed. Either way, you need/deserve a new one. I wouldn’t be willing to accept the same manufacturer or the same model.
Building a shield for cell phone frequencies is going to be difficult. Obviously any shielding will help some, but I suspect that any shielding that would really help would cause heat problems. You are much better off with a new modem.
The other possibility is that the cell phone is generating way more than the rated power. That’s worth checking out (maybe by seeing if other cell phones disrupt the modem as well). It’s unknown whether the human body is affected by cell phone radiation, but I wouldn’t want a malfunctioning one next to my ear.
Since you said the problem is distance related, you could extend the cable coax and network wire. Move the cable modem away from the computer and cell phone useage area.
Or buy a new cable modem.
I’ve used a cell phone and wireless routing around cable modems and never had a problem.
In my area, you could just take the box to the cableco itself and they’d do a swap on the spot.